How to Write a Process Analysis Essay
Publication Date:
A process analysis essay sounds like a difficult task, yet being just another writing assignment. Anyone can cope with it easily, following our simple guidelines. First of all, what is a process analysis essay? It’s a type of an expository essay. Thus, such an essay is aimed to describe some process or action. It is somewhat similar to writing a recipe: you describe ingredients and then you write an instruction on what to do with them. Actually, recipes are the simplest examples of process analysis essays.
What you need to do is write down a list of all steps in a logical order. The only purpose of this paper will be an explanation of how something is done. A fun thing about process analysis essays is that you can even write an essay about how to write process analysis essays. There are some popular topics for such essays that almost all students like. Here is an incomplete list of them:
- How to prevent pregnancy
- How to cook burgers
- How to win a lottery
- How to find friends
- How to treat flu
- How to succeed in college
- How to write an essay
- How to lose weight
Writing Stages
In general, the structure of process analysis essays is similar to a classic five-paragraph structure, with a few differences determined by the topic.
- The first paragraph of your essay should explain the process that you’re going to describe. Explain why this process is important, and try not to focus on unnecessary details. You don’t need to dig deep into a background of the process or provide any historical facts.
- Equipment and/or ingredients. Please note that this paragraph isn’t necessary. You may need it for particular topics where such information is really important. Tell your readers what they need to start the process. Sometimes you may mention some materials that are rare or can’t be purchased in a certain area. In this case, you must inform your readers about it. Another thing that your audience must know is any risks or side effects associated with this process. If you know that something can go wrong, you need to warn your readers before they decide to repeat the process.
- Outline of the process. Describe every step of the process in a sequential order. All your instructions must be clear and detailed enough so that your readers won’t feel confused. There must be no misunderstanding. When you describe some step that is too complex, we suggest dividing this step into several parts. However, you must do it carefully to make sure your readers won’t get confused. Don’t overuse transitional words, as they make your text difficult to read.
Process Analysis Essay Structure
We suggest starting with an outline for your essay. Just list all steps of the process, there are no specific rules of preparing for writing. Organize all steps in a logical order and decide on what the structure of your essay will look like.
Process analysis essays imply almost the same structure as other essays (introduction, body, conclusion). The only difference is the body of the essay because it isn’t built in a form of arguments and evidence. You don’t need to search for some facts to support your point because your point is just a simple description of the process. In case you’re writing a process comparison, you will also need to compare some steps of the process with another process.
Introduction
- Briefly describe your topic and the purpose of the process.
- Tell why this process is worth learning and why it is useful.
- Describe results your readers can get if they do everything correctly.
Body
- Describe the whole process in paragraphs.
- Describe every step of the process in a separate paragraph.
- Use transitional sentences between paragraphs.
- Use descriptive writing style.
Conclusion
- Summarize all steps described in the body of your essay.
- Don’t repeat your instructions.
- Highlight the most important stages.
- Describe the result.
Advice from Our Experts
There are many types of expository essays, and each one of them has its specific purpose and tone. Your task is not to write a simple instruction, otherwise, it wouldn’t be called an essay. You must be careful when choosing a tone of your paper. Be neutral and clear, so that you’ll sound like an expert or instructor.
If you have an opportunity to choose a topic, make the best of it. That means that you have a chance to write about something familiar. On the other hand, if you get a topic assigned by your instructor, this is a chance to learn something new.
Anyway, if you have problems with writing and you’re not sure you can make it, our professional writers are always ready to help you with any essay. Just contact us now, and get your perfect essay!